Your Record & Life After the Case

How do I restore my civil rights in Florida?

Attorney-Reviewed Answer
Reviewed by Jeff T. Gorman, Criminal Defense Attorney & Former 19th Circuit Prosecutor (Fla. Bar #538183). Last reviewed: September 2026
Short Answer
Through the clemency process — and voting rights follow a different, largely automatic path than firearm rights.

Several distinct things get grouped under this heading, and they're restored differently.

Voting. Following a 2018 constitutional amendment, voting rights are restored for most people upon completion of all terms of sentence. Murder and felony sexual offenses are excluded. "All terms" has been interpreted to include legal financial obligations — fines, fees, and restitution.

Other civil rights, including serving on a jury and holding office, run through the clemency process administered by the Board of Executive Clemency.

Firearm authority is separate and considerably harder, addressed in the next answer.

What to do first: determine exactly what you owe, on every case, in every county. Court records are frequently unclear about balances, and the question of whether obligations are satisfied is the practical barrier to most of this.

Because the rules have been litigated and amended, verify current requirements rather than relying on general information.

Talk to an Attorney — Free

An answer on a page isn't the same as advice about your case. Talk to an attorney who handles these matters on the Treasure Coast — free and confidential.

This page answers a common question for general informational purposes and is not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is formed by reading it. Florida law changes; while this answer is reviewed by a licensed Florida attorney, the right answer depends on the specific facts of your situation — consult an attorney. Serving Martin, St. Lucie, Palm Beach, Indian River, and Okeechobee Counties.